Dreadlock Theft In South Africa: Stolen Hair A Hot Commodity For Salon Procedure

Locals in Johannesburg, South Africa, say that dreadlocks have evidently become so popular that they are increasingly being stolen right off of people's heads.

The surprising crime trend comes as Johannesberg seeks to burnish its image as a safer, more cosmopolitan city, reports CNN.

According to Johannesberg's Times Live, shoulder-length dreads sell for between $20 and $80. Longer ones have been known to sell for nearly $300.

To attach dreadlock extensions, a stylist weaves the dreadlocks into a client's existing hair using a needle and thread.

"On a busy day we get about 10 people [wanting] to extend their hair," a dreadlock stylist in central Johannesburg told the Times Live.

And it isn't just South Africa that has a hairy situation on its hands, either.

According to Time, salons in U.S. cities like Atlanta, Detroit, San Diego, Houston, and Chicago have all reported thefts of human hair, though the hair in these cases isn't typically stolen off of people's heads. One Chicago salon lost $230,000 through hair theft alone, reports ABC.